Alexander Isak’s stoppage-time penalty gives Newcastle a crucial 2-1 win at Nottingham Forest

To understand how big this win was for Newcastle, just look at the celebrations.

When Alexander Isak converted his stoppage-time penalty to grab all three points, the entire Magpies bench jumped to their feet.

And when victory that plunged Nottingham Forest into relegation trouble was confirmed shortly afterwards, Newcastle responded as if they had finally ended their 68-year trophy drought, rather than beating a relegation contender.

Forest midfielder Jonjo Shelvey called his former teammates “grievance bags” for their frequent complaints, but there were no long faces at full time. Meanwhile, the Forest hierarchy was thought to be furious with referee Paul Tierney and his team for failing to penalize a challenge by Joe Willock on Andre Ayew in the build-up to the draw.

The players and coaching staff marched on the nearly 3,000 traveling fans and simply got drenched. Most tossed their T-shirts into the crowd. Isak hugged the fans in the front row. They all stayed long after the whistle, not wanting to part ways, after inflicting a first league home defeat on Forest since September.

There is still a lot of work to do. Newcastle remains a point behind fourth-placed Tottenham, albeit with a game to go, and still have Manchester United, Spurs, Arsenal and Chelsea to play. However, there was something about the way they overcame adversity here that suggested Eddie Howe’s side is the real deal.

Newcastle were comfortably the better side, but still trailed behind to Emmanuel Dennis’ impressive strike. They had hit the bar twice when Isak equalized, and must have wondered if they were out of luck when substitute Elliot Anderson’s header was ruled out by a controversial VAR call.

However, they kept going and in the end had to thank for a moment of madness from Moussa Niakhate. In the discount, the defender of the Forest made the crazy decision to block a cross with his hand. Once Isak persuaded Kieran Trippier to let him kick, the £60m Swede beat Keylor Navas without a problem. After a difficult start to his Newcastle career, Isak now has three goals in two games.

“It’s a great moment in our season,” said Howe, who said he expects Miguel Almiron to be out for six weeks with a hamstring injury. He ‘he was frozen with the penalty. It was not easy to do that with the delay. It could be one of those moments we remember.

This was a hugely worrying loss for Forest. If they can’t rack up points at City Ground, it’s hard to see how they’ll stay up, given their terrible displays on the road. Steve Cooper’s men are now winless in six and look increasingly nervous. Forest’s owners are not known for their calmness, and Cooper must take advantage of the international hiatus to make sure the temperature doesn’t get too hot. The survival prospects of the forest may depend on it.

“It was the worst way to lose: a stoppage-time penalty,” lamented Cooper, who was called into the referee’s room at halftime along with Newcastle assistant Jason Tindall. “But we were always going to be in the fight after the international break, regardless of this result. We have to stick together and we will.

After a slow start to 2023, Newcastle looked their old self again by beating Wolves 2-1 last weekend and they started with plenty of aplomb. Joe Willock missed a big chance before Lodi deflected Isak’s effort against his own bar, and then Forest took the lead against the course of play.

Sven Botman’s back pass to Nick Pope was missed and after Dennis took the ball the opportunity seemed to disappear momentarily. The Nigerian then produced a brilliant chip from a tight angle that sailed into the top corner. Moments later, Newcastle hit the woodwork again with a Sean Longstaff shot that Felipe deflected.

Newcastle finally found the equalizer in first half stoppage time. Seconds after the tackle on Ayew that so angered Forest, Willock’s cross eluded Serge Aurier and was volleyed by Isak with an unorthodox spike, possibly more to the shin than the boot.

Newcastle picked up where they had left off in the second half with Anderson, a half-time substitute for Alain Saint-Maximin, instantly involved.

Bruno Guimaraes’ pass found Isak and when Niakhate couldn’t clear, Isak played a fabulous ball to the far post where Anderson leaped past Aurier and headed past Navas.

After a three-minute delay, the goal was disallowed because Isak’s original cross had bounced off Longstaff, who was in an offside position. Tierney checked the screen to make sure and the decision to disallow the goal was greeted with a great roar. Newcastle continued to push and Murphy hit a deflected volley from a promising position.

There was still time for Aurier to cut through the line and for Felipe to produce another brilliant block, before Pope rescued Newcastle by saving Brennan Johnson’s angled effort off his feet after a rare break. But then Niakhate committed an incredible howl and Newcastle made the most of it. The festivities on the bench showed how important they felt it was.